quarmby



Oct. 30, 1956 R. c. QUARMBY NAIL LOADERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Nov. 2 1952 [n ven tor R. C. QUARMBY NAIL. LOADERS Oct. 30, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Nov. 21, 1952 w L mm w Oct. 30,- 1956 R. c. QUARMBY NAIL LOADERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed Nov.- 21, 1952 lllllIll IIIHIIIIIIHI W I n ven to r Eoberzf CQzzar/wy Byfiis Iforlli V l l I United Sttes Patent NAIL LoanEns Robert Charles Quarmby, Leicester, England, assignor to United Shoe. Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J., and Boston, Mass, a corporation of New Jersey Original application November 21, 1952, Seriai No. 321,771, now Patent No. 2,734,191, dated February 14, 1956. Divided and this application December 7, 1955, Serial No. 551,654

8 Claims. (Cl. 1-100) This invention relates to nail loaders for transferring fastenings, for example nails, received in groups from a nail distributor to a nailing die of a heel attaching machine, the present application being a division of an application for United States Letters Patent Serial No. 321,771, filed November 21, 1952, in my name, and issued as U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,734,191, on February 14, 1956.

Machines for attaching wood and leather heels by inside and outside nailing are commonly provided with a nail distributor for delivering gangs of nails to a foot plate and are also, provided with a nailing die having passages through which drivers operate to drive the nails into work mounted on the nailing die. These machines are also provided with nail loaders comprising loader blocks which move between the foot plate and the nailing die, to transfer nails received from the nail distributor to the passages of said die. As explained in said application Serial No. 321,771 it is sometimes the practice, for safety reasons, to move the loader block yieldingly between the foot plate and the nailing die and when movement of said block to its nail dumping position over the loader block is obstructed for any reason, the block, when it moves back beneath-the foot plate, Will receive another load of nails which obviously is undesirable.

It is an object of the present invention to. provide a loader block from which nails may be automatically dumped during their return to a position beneath the foot plate inthe event that the-loader block has not been able to progress to its dumping position over the nailing die because of interference such as, for example, a shoe being positioned on or adjacent to the nailing die.

' The illustrative nail loader comprises a nailing die, a foot plate for receiving nails, a shutter associated with the foot plate and movable to and from a nail retaining position beneath the foot plate, a loader block yieldingly movable, between the foot plate and the nailing die for delivering nails from the foot plate to the die, a nail retaining shutter movable with the loader 'block to and from a nail retaining position beneath said block, latches for re taining thev shutters in their nail retaining positions heneath the foot plate and the loader block, respectively, springs 'for urging the shutters from. their nail retaining positions beneath the foot plate and said block, means responsive to movement of the loader block for releasing the latch of the loader block shutter when the block is over the nailing die to enable the associated spring of the loader block shutter to cause the shutter to move away from its nail retaining position to permit nails to be de livered to the nailing die, and in accordance with said object and a, feature of the invention, means associated with the latch of the loader block shutter for releasing the latch during movement of the loader'block toward the foot plate in the event that nails in the loader block, because; of the yielding action of said block, have not been deliveredtothe nailing die.

The present invention consists in the above andhereinafter described feature, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of the invention selected for purposes of illustration, said invention being fully described in the following description and claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 shows, in plan, nail transfer mechanism and a drive therefor, a loader block of said mechanism being shown in a nail delivering position over a nailing die of a heel attaching machine;

Fig. 2 is a View showing, in perspective, the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 2 showing the nail transfer mechanism when the loader block is beneath a foot plate which receives nails from a nail distributor or nail supplying unit (not shown);

Fig. 4 is a plan View, partly broken away and partly in section and phantom, illustrating shutter operating means of the nail transfer mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a view showing part of a drive for operating the nail transfer mechanism; and

Fig. 6 shows, partly in side elevation and partly in section, a heel end portion of a shoe upon a nailing die of a machine for attaching a heel to the shoe.

The'illustrative nail loader is incorporated in a heel attaching machine comprising a nailing die 46 upon which a shoe 42 is mounted preparatory to forcing, under pressure by use of "a clamp 48, a heel 4% against the heel seat portion of the shoe, the heel being attached to the shoe by nails 44 which are driven into the heel seat of the shoe and the heel by drivers 49 reciproca'ble in passages 50 of the nailing die.

The nail loader comprises a loader block 82 which is operated between a nail receiving position beneath a foot plate 76 to which nails are delivered in gangs through tubes 72 from a nail distributor or nail supplying unit (not shown) and a'nail delivering, discharge or dumping position in which passages 89- of the loader block overlie the passages 50 of the nailing die.

Power for operating the nail loader is supplied by a pinion 580 which is driven in, opposite directions by mechanism disclosed in said application Serial No. 321,771 and comprises a shaft 491 yieldingly connected through a spring-pressed friction disk 532 with the pinion. When excessive resistance is met by the-pinion 5802M turns idly on the shaft 491.

The upper ends of the nail tubes 72, the number of which corresponds to the number of nails to be driven through the heel seat of the shoe 42 and into the heel, are inserted into suitable holes in a holder (360) described in application Serial No. 321,771 and the lower ends of the tubes are inserted into vertical passages 74 in the foot plate 76. The foot plate 76 which is secured in a transfer bracket 596 secured to and forming part of a main frame may be replaced by other foot plates having different arrangements of passages 74.

Just beneath the foot plate 76 is a shutter 78 which is. pivotally mounted upon a vertical pin 598 secured in the bracket 596 of the mainframe 86. When the shutter 78 lies in a closed position beneath the foot plate 76,- nails are prevented from dropping from the passages 74 of said plate and when the shutter is in an open position swung away from said plate, nails therein may fall from: the plate into the passages 80 of the loader block. The shutter 78 is constantly urged away from its closed or nail retaining position beneath the foot plate 76' (Fig. 4) by a torsion spring 6% which surrounds the pin 598 and opposite ends of which bear against studs 602, 604 secured to the bracket 596and to the shutter 78, the shutterbeing held in its nail retaining position beneath the foot plate by a latch 606 pivoted on a bearing pin 6.93 secured to the bracket 596.

Arranged in a retracted position beneath the foot plate 76 is the loader block 82 which has formed in it the nail receiving passages 80 arranged in a pattern or design identical with the pattern or the design of the passages 74 formed in the foot plate and which is changed when the foot plate is changed. The loader block 82 is secured in a transfer slide 610 which is slidingly mounted in the bracket 596 and has a rack 612 meshing with the pinion 580, said pinion as above explained being actuated through the spring-pressed friction disk 582 and the vertical shaft 491 to move the loader block yieldingly over the nailing die 46 and to return it to a retracted or rest position beneath the foot plate 76.

Secured to and extending downward from the shutter 78 is a stud 614 which is engaged by a hook portion 616 of the latch 606 when said shutter is swung counterclockwise, as viewed in Fig. 4-, by means hereinafter described to its closed or nail retaining position. An adjustable screw 618 carried by the transfer slide 610 is arranged to engage the latch 606 and to release it from the stud 614 just as said slide reaches its rearmost position and the loader block 82 arrives beneath the foot plate 76. When the stud 614 is released from the latch 606 the shutter 78 is swung from beneath the foot plate 76 to its position shown in Fig. 4, and nails then in the passages 74 of the foot plate 76 fall into the loader block 82, a shutter 83 then lying in a closed or nail retaining position beneath the loader block and supporting the nails in said block. Movement of the shutter 78 when it is swung from beneath the foot plate 76 by its associated spring 600, is limited by the engagement of the stud 604 on the shutter with a yielding stop 620 which is pivotally mounted on the bracket 596 and is constantly urged clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 1, by a spring-pressed plunger 622 carried by the bracket.

The loader block shutter 83 is secured to a pivot pin 624 rotatably mounted in the transfer slide 610 and is withdrawn from a closed position beneath the loader block 82 by a torsion spring 626 which surrounds the pivot pin 624 and has its opposite ends in engagement respectively with a shoulder of the slide and with a stud 628 in the shutter. Movement of the shutter 83 away from its closed position by the action of the spring 626 is limited by the engagement of a cylindrical stud 630 secured to the shutter with a yielding stop 632 which is journaled on a pin 634 carried by the transfer slide 610 and which is constantly urged clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 1, by a spring-pressed plunger 636 slidable in the slide. The shutter 83 has formed on its rear edge a cam 638 which, when the transfer slide 610 is approaching its rearward or retracted position shown in Fig. 3, engages and travels past a vertical stud 640 secured in the bracket 596. The engagement of the cam 638 with the stud 640 causes the shutter 83 to be swung beneath its associated loader block 82, said shutter being held in this position by the engagement of a latch 642, which is pivoted on a bearing pin 644 secured to the transfer slide 610, with a block 646 on the stud 630 which is secured to the shutter 83. As the transfer slide 610 moves forward an adjustable nut (not shown), on the rear end of a rod 648 extending lengthwise of the slide and pivotally connected to the latch 642, engages the transfer bracket 596 and just as the transfer slide arrives at the forward end of its stroke and the loader block 82 arrives above the nailing die 46 the latch 642 is caused to be moved rearward about its bearing pin 644 and releases the block 646 carried by the shutter 83, said shutter being immediately swung from beneath the loader block by the spring 626 and nails thereon falling from the passages 80 in said block into the passages 50 of the nailing die 46. The latch 642 is shown in this rearward position in Fig. 1 and as soon as the transfer slide 61% moves rearward the latch 642 is moved forward by a spring (not shown). at the rear end of the rod 648 into position to beagain engaged by the block 646.

As the transfer slide 610 moves forward a pin 650,

fixed to a block 652 secured on the spindle 624 to which the shutter 83 is secured, engages a laterally projecting portion 654- of the shutter 78 and swings that shutter inward beneath the foot plate 76 until it is held there by the latch 696. The pin 650 thereafter moves forward with the transfer slide 610. As the transfer slide 610 moves rearward the shutter 83 is swung out from beneath the loader block 82 and the pin 650 is then in a position to miss the projection 654 on the shutter 7 8 and to move rearward of it. When the latch 606 of the shutter 78 is released said shutter swings outward from beneath the foot plate '76 and the projection 654 moves once more into the path of the pin 650.

When the transfer slide 610 is in its rearward nail receiving position the shutter 78 will be withdrawn from beneath the foot plate 76 and the shutter 83 will be beneath the loader block 82, nails having fallen from the foot plate into the loader block and being retained therein by the shutter 83. As the transfer slide 610 moves forward the shutter 78 is moved beneath the foot plate 76 and is latched in position. As the loader block 82 arrives over the nailing die 46 the shutter 83 is unlatched and is swung by the spring 626 from under the loader block so that the nails therein may fall into the nailing die.

As the transfer slide 610 approaches its rearward position the shutter 83 is moved beneath the loader block 82 and just as the slide arrives in its rearward position, the latch 696 which is holding the shutter 78 beneath the foot plate 76 is released and is swung from beneath said plate by its associated spring 600. With the above arrangement, should the counting mechanism (70) disclosed in application Serial No. 321,771 finish counting the desired number of nails and these nails be allowed to pass from the distributor block (68) before the nail transfer slide 610 has reached its rearward position, said nails will fall into the foot plate 76 and be retained there until the transfer slide reaches its rearmost position at which time the nails will fall into the loader block 82.

Should the transfer slide 610 be prevented from moving fully forward, for example by the presence of a shoe on the nailing die 46, and being moved rearward without the nails in the loader block 82 having been discharged into the nailing die, these nails would be carried back and would prevent nails which have been delivered to the foot plate 76 from falling into the passages 80 of the loader block 82 or if some types of nails were being used would cause a double load of nails to be dumped into the passages of the loader block. To cause, in such a case, the nails which are being carried back in the loader block 82 to fall from said block before the block arrives beneath the foot plate 76, the latch 642 has slidingly mounted on it a rod 656 which is urged to the left, as viewed in Fig. 1, by a spring 658. When the shutter 83 is latched beneath the loader block 82 the left-hand end of the rod 656 is engaged by the block 646 and the rod has been moved to the right, as viewed in Fig. 1, so that its right-hand end portion projects so far from the latch 642 that as the transfer slide 610 moves rearward it engages the front face of a pawl 660 then in its position shown in Fig. 2, and as the transfer slide continues to move rearward the latch is swung about its pivot and is released from the cylindrical stud 630, the shutter 83 being swung from beneath the loader block 82 and the nails therein dropping out. The pawl 660 is mounted upon a bearing pin 662 secured to the bracket 596 and is normally urged to its active position, shown in Fig. 2 and determined by a stop screw 663, by a spring 664. When the slide 610 moves forward with the shutter 83 latched below the loader block 82 the right-hand end of the rod 656 engages a bevel face 666 of the pawl 660 and the rod snaps past the pawl.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a nail loader, a nail supplying unit, a nailing die spaced from said unit, a movable loader block, means for yieldingly moving the loader block between a predetermined nail receiving position adjacent to the nail supplying unit and a predetermined nail discharge position adjacent to the nailing die, means for effecting discharge of nails in the loader block to the nailing die when the block arrives at said predetermined discharge position, and means for causing nails to be dumped from the loader block before the loader block arrives at its predetermined nail receiving position adjacent to the nail supplying unit in the event that the loader block, because of an obstruction met by the yieldingly moved loader block, has been prevented from being moved to said predetermined nail discharge position adjacent to the nailing die and accordingly nails have not been delivered to the die by the block.

2. In a nail loader, a nailing die, a foot plate for receiving nails, a shutter associated with the foot plate and movable to and from a nail retaining position beneath the foot plate, a loader block yieldingly movable between the foot plate and the nailing die for delivering nails from said foot plate to said die, a nail retaining shutter associated with the loader block and movable to and from a nail retaining position beneath the loader block, latches for retaining said shutters in their nail retaining positions beneath the foot plate and the loader block respectively, springs for urging the shutters away from their nail retaining positions beneath said plate and said block, means responsive to movement of the loader block for releasing the latch of the loader block shutter when said block is over the nailing die to enable the associated spring of the loader block shutter to cause the shutter to move away from its nail retaining position to permit nails to be delivered to the nailing die, and means adapted to cooperate with the latch of the loader block shutter in the releasal of the latch during movement of the loader block toward the foot plate in the event that nails in the loader block because of resistance met by said block have not been delivered to the nailing die.

3. In a nail loader, a nailing die, a foot plate spaced from said die and adapted to receive nails, a loader block, a nail retaining shutter movable to and from an active position beneath the block, said loader block being adapted to receive nails from the foot plate, a drive for yieldingly moving said block from a nail receiving position adjacent to the foot plate to a discharge position over the nailing die, the construction and arrangement being such that in the event that said block encounters resistance it comes to rest before it arrives over the nailing die and then moves directly back to its nail receiving position adjacent to the foot plate, means operative in response to movement of said block toward the foot plate for causing the shutter to be moved beneath the loader block, means for causing the shutter to be moved from beneath the loader block when said block is in its discharge position over the nailing die whereby to release nails from said block for delivery to the die, and mechanism for moving the shutter from beneath the loader block just before it is operated upon by said first-named means in the event that said block has not discharged its load of nails to the nailing die and is in a closed position beneath the loader block thereby insuring that the nails in the loader block and not delivered to the nailing die shall be dumped from said block before the block receives another load of nails from the foot plate.

4. In a nail loader, a foot plate having nail receiving passages, a shutter which is associated with the foot plate and is movable to and from a closed position beneath the plate, a spring for constantly urging the shutter away from its closed position, a nailing die spaced from the foot plate and having driver passages, a loader block having nail receiving passages, a shutter which is associated with the loader block and is movable between a closed position beneath the nail receiving passages of said block and an open position from beneath the passages of the block, a spring for constantly urging the loader block shutter to its open position, means for moving the loader block together with its associated shutter from the foot plate to the nailing die and in response to-said movement to enable the loader block shutter to be moved to its open positionby its associated spring whereby to deliver a load of nails to the nailing die, means responsive to movement of the loader block toward the foot plate for causing the foot plate shutter to be moved by its associated spring from its closed position as the loader block arrives beneaththe foot plate, and means movable in response to movement of said loader block and accordingly the loader block shutter away from the foot plate for closing the shutter of the foot plate.

5. In a nail loader, a foot plate, a loader block, a nailing die spaced from the foot plate, a foot plate shutter movable beneath the foot plate between closed and open positions, a loader block shutter movable beneath the loader block between. closed and open positions, a spring for constantly urging the foot plate shutter to its open position, a latch for retaining the foot plate shutter in its closed position, a spring for constantly urging the loader block shutter to its open position, a latch for retaining the loader block shutter in its closed position, a slide upon which the loader block is mounted, means for yieldingly moving said slide to transfer the loader block between the foot plate and the nailing die, trip members responsive to movement of the slide for enabling the foot plate and the loader block shutters to move respectively under the action of their associated springs to their open positions when the loader block has been moved'respectively below the foot plate and above the nailing die, an abutment for closing the loader block shutter when the loader block arrives at a position below the foot plate, and an abutment carried by the loader block shutter for closing the foot plate shutter as the loader block moves away from the foot plate.

6. In a nail leader, a foot plate, a loader block, a nailing die spaced a substantial distance from the foot plate, a foot plate shutter, a loader block shutter, a spring for constantly urging the foot plate shutter to an open position with relation to the foot plate, a latch for retaining the foot plate shutter in a closed position beneath the foot plate, a spring for constantly urging the loader block shutter to an open position with relation to the loader block, a latch for retaining the loader block shutter in a closed position beneath the loader block, a slide upon which the loader block and the loader block shutter are mounted, means for moving said slide to transfer the loader block between the foot plate and the nailing die, trip members responsive to movement of the slide for causing the foot plate and the loader block shutters to move respectively under the action of their associated springs to their open positions when the loader block is moved below the foot plate and the loader block is moved above the nailing die, an abutment for closing the loader block shutter when the loader block arrives at a position below the foot plate, an abutment carried by the loader block shutter for closing the foot plate shutter as the loader block moves away from the foot plate, and independent means for tripping the secondnarned latch as the loader block moves toward the foot plate, in the event that the loader block shutter has not been tripped to permit the nails to be discharged into the nailing die, thereby insuring against the presence of nails in the passages of the loader block as said block is moved beneath the foot plate.

7. In a nail loader, a foot plate, a loader block, a foot plate shutter, a loader block shutter, a spring for constantly urging the foot plate shutter to an open position with relation to the foot plate, a latch for retaining the foot plate shutter in a closed position beneath the foot plate, a spring for constantly urging the loader block shutter to an open position with relation to the loader block, a latch for retaining the loader block shutter in a closed position beneath the loader block, a loader block slide, means for moving said slide to transfer the loader block between the foot plate and the nailing die, trip members responsive to movement of the slide for operating the latches to permit the foot plate and the loader block shutters to move to their open positions when the loader block arrives respectively below the foot plate and above the nailing die, an abutment for closing the loader block shutter when said block arrives at a position below the foot plate, an abutment carried by the loader block shutter for closing the foot plate shutter as the loader block moves away from the foot plate, and means for tripping the loader block shutter latch as the loader block moves toward the foot plate, in the event that the loader block shutter has not already been tripped and nails have been discharged into the nailing die, to cause the loader block shutter to move to its open position thereby insuring that a load of nails in the loader block returning to the foot plate shall be discharged.

8. In a nail loader, a foot plate, a loader block, a foot plate shutter, a loader block shutter, a spring for constantly urging the foot plate shutter to an open position with relation tothe foot plate, a latch for retaining the foot plate shutter in-a closed position beneath the foot plate, a spring for constantly urging the loader block shutter to an open position with relation to the loader block, a latch for retaining the loader block shutter in a closed position beneath the loader block, a loader block slide, means for moving said slide to transfer the loader block between the foot plate and the nailing die, trip members responsive to movement of the slide for actuating the latches to permit the foot plate and the loader block shutters to move respectively to their open positions when the loader block is below the foot plate and is above the nailing die, an abutment for closing the loader block shutter when the loader block arrives at a position below the foot plate, and an abutment carried by the loader block shutter for closing the foot plate shutter as'the loader block moves away from the foot plate.

No references cited. 

